- Traxus 04
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- Honorable Member
ok, few things
First, I'm not sure what you're getting at re:'leaking' from ONI. The datapad from 2525 says
[^] A careful rationing of intelligence and counterintelligence will be required to sustain this conflict until our creators have closed the technology gap. Accordingly, the Assembly will have many difficult decisions to make for the duration of this conflict. However, our creators have already instituted several programs that will make acting on those decisions much easier. [^]
[^] For example, telemetry manipulation - in concert with synchronized M2M remote documentation revision - will allow this body to employ assets within the Office of Naval Intelligence's nascent Radio Beacon Deployment Program efficiently and securely. [^]
So, talks about leaking/planting information to help the humans, during the Covenant conflict, and sounds pretty similar to the situation with Halsey receiving a hologram from an anonymous ONI source. True, the Assembly don't mention any other Forerunner things, but they do refer to Onyx once again later on, saying how after the war it can be explored properly for the development of human science.
Secondly, the Assembly initially refrain from being involved in 'the metaphysical' - by which they mean playing God. There comes a point in the war when they realize it's time to start interfering in broader human affairs, 'getting involved with the metaphysical.' It didn't mean they left science/physics to us (not sure if that was your implication).
Thirdly, the part about creating an abstract fractal in slipspace to represent an AI. My contention is that the 'neural link' is just one part of a bigger project. The abstract fractal experimented with a new environment for an AI mind, then Halsey realized that the human brain has higher-dimensional properties, so she started working on the initial neural link which was achieved in 2549, then 3 years later the full mapping was completed and the Assembly took notice. And the war was won shortly after. Halo: Cryptum confirms the higher-dimensional properties of the brain.
Of course it's not explicitly confirmed that 'the package' relates to the mapping, but it makes more sense than just being a really risky and slow method of sending some simple but vital data (co-ordinates, language codec)
Posted by: kit_103
Posted by: Traxus 04
It says in the data pads that the Assembly found some forerunner tech but wanted to hide it from the humans because it would be like giving a gorilla a hand grenade
Eventually, you'll have simian confetti.
But the tech they're referring to is actually Onyx, or as they call it 'XF-063'. That was the only Forerunner tech they mention through all the data-pads.
Posted by: Traxus 04
When the war started though they wanted to advance human science faster than before to make sure they actually won the war
Then they talk about 'channels' they can use to feed humans information/inspiration without drawing attention to themselves. I believe they mention an ONI project at this point.
First, they talk about ORION, its candidates and how it will lead to something great. That was back in 2508.
2525 rolls around. SPARTAN-II Program is up and running. One group believes that the program reaching full operational capacity was going to happen when you look at the relevant data. The other group believes that any military application will see advanced innovation during a time of conflict, leaving it up to luck. At that point, they pretty much decide to leave meta-physics up to us.
2526. The Assembly discusses the SPARTAN-IIs, the Covenant, Project ORION, the ODSTs and the Insurrection. They come to the conclusion that the SPARTAN-IIs are better off fighting the alien menace.
The ORION Project was originally meant to deal with Human Civil War. The ODSTs are that replacement and are more then qualified to handle the job. That would be the "leaking" and the ONI project(s).
Posted by: Traxus 04
Anyway my point is I don't see why the Assembly WOULDN'T be interested in whatever Forerunner tech Halsey was studying. Their goal is essentially the advancement of human science to ensure long term survival.
Said it yourself. It would be giving an ape a hand grenade. They debated if showing humanity Onyx would be a threat to their survival or not. They deemed that the monkey would blow itself up lol.
The only way that the Assembly would leak Forerunner tech would be after the war is over. They mention this and decide that it's time to enter hostilities. So, the Assembly put the advancement of the human-race on the back-burner, deciding that the survival of the human race was more important.
Can't promise the advancement of the species if that species doesn't survive. They knew this.
Also, a little more proof that the structure under SWORD didn't "map" an AI to a human brain.
Incredible. [10141-026-SRB4695], with minimal influence from this Assembly, has attempted to build an abstract fractal structure within Shaw-Fujikawa Space.
Halsey was working on a neural-link. The first test failed, 2547.
Completed the neural-link successfully. 2549.
Field tests were conducted August 29th, 2552. Success.
We know where this is going. The second to last entry the Assembly makes. They're talking about the neural-link. It allowed both Cortana and Chief to exist as one. All of that came from no Forerunner tech. The Assembly had very little influence on the project. It was all human ingenuity.